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Saturday, October 27, 2012

Welcome to the Friday Farm Fix, where I share a random sampling of what's been happening around the farm during the past week (mostly on Fridays). Just joining us? You'll find all the Friday Farm Fix posts here and here.

The sheep barn surrounded by a blast of autumn color.

What's this? A new Friday Farm Fix after a ten week hiatus? Yes! (Although I didn't want to give you too much of a shock by actually posting it on Friday.) I've missed this series. Missed being able to look back and see what we've been doing each week, missed keeping on top of all my photos. I don't know if these posts be weekly again yet, but I'm hoping to get back in the groove. (Did I just date myself with that phrase?)

It's been a busy, beautiful autumn. Lots of work, lots of up and down crazy weather (80s and muggy one day, 50s and blustery the next), lots of gorgeous fall color. October is my favorite month on the farm. Enjoy.

12 more farm photos below. Hover over each image for a description. . .

Gardeners are gamblers. Every year we scatter seeds, stock up on seedlings, amend our soil, water faithfully, cross our green thumbs, close our eyes, and pray for something out there to survive—all the while knowing that Mother Nature has totally stacked the cards against us. Why? Because we've tasted that delicious homegrown pay out, and we crave more.

And besides, even if we lose everything this year, we know there's always a chance we can win it all back, and then some, next season.

There are no sure things when it comes to coaxing food out of the garden, but just like at casinos and the horse races, some bets have better odds than others. And after 18 years of growing everything from arugula to zucchini in my large organic kitchen garden, I've figured out how to consistently walk away with the biggest payouts: by planting herbs.

Homegrown herbs are easy to grow, cheap to keep, don't require lots of space or attention, and aren't usually bothered by diseases and pests, making them perfect for the organic garden. They're pretty to look at, bursting with flavor, and far fresher than anything you can buy at the store.

In comparison, store bought fresh herbs are notoriously pricey, often come packaged in non-recyclable plastic containers, and are sometimes sprayed with really scary chemicals. The selection is limited, and a lot of times the fresh herbs aren't actually all that fresh.

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Now that the months of devastating heat and drought have finally come to an end (and I'm not quite as under the weather as I was all summer), I've started carrying around my camera and seeing pictures again.

I'm hoping to get back to posting the weekly Friday Farm Fix soon so I can better share what's been happening around here (and better keep track for us of what happens when). This is my favorite time of year on the farm. And the photos, along with the leaves, are thankfully starting to pile up.